Screen Replacement Tips

(HIT) - Warm spring weather brings cool evening breezes, outdoor living and, unfortunately, annoying and sometimes disease-carrying insects. Screened windows, doors and porches, however, allow you to enjoy the breezes and pleasant weather free from pests.

With a few tools, the proper materials and these screen replacement tips from the Screen Manufacturers Association, summer screen repair can be a simple afternoon do-it-yourself project.

Do-it-yourselfers can choose from high-quality aluminum, fiberglass or solar replacement screen materials in a variety of colors and mesh sizes. When replacing just a few worn screens or individual porch panels, it is generally best to rescreen with matching material, says Frank Fitzgerald, CAE, Executive Vice President & Technical Director of the Screen Manufacturers Association.

Aluminum replacement screening is resilient and rustproof and comes in three colors, bright or natural finish, charcoal or black. Charcoal and black are the most popular screening colors because of their excellent outward visibility and durability. Black Aluminum is the top-of-the-line screening product. "It actually seems to disappear into the background when you look through it to the outside," said Fitzgerald.

Fiberglass replacement screens are vinyl-coated for strength and durability. Especially well suited for use in coastal areas, the product will not corrode, rust or dent and is extremely easy to handle. Solar screening is a good selection for windows, doors and porches where the sun is a problem. Various products made of vinyl-coated fiberglass, heavy-duty vinyl-coated polyester and louvered aluminum provide protection against insects while blocking 65-87 percent of the sun's heat and glare and allowing for excellent outward visibility.

In addition to screening, the other materials needed screen replacement in windows and doors include a screen roller, retaining spline and utility knife. For rescreening a porch or other enclosure, a hammer, staple gun, nails or tacks and, possibly, new wooden strips will be needed.

To replace window or door screens in standard aluminum screening frames, lay the frame on a smooth flat surface, such as a table or workbench. Use a screwdriver or knife to pry up the end of the old retaining spline and pull it out of the groove. Discard the old screening and spline, and clean the frame.

Lay the new screening on the frame, and allow it to overlap the spline, and clean the frame.

Lay the replacement screen material on the frame, and allow it to overlap the spline groove approximately 1/8 inch. Cut the starting corner at a 45° angle. Using the round end of the screen roller, roll screening down into the spline groove. Next, use the concave end of the screen roller to roll spline into the groove over the screening. Cut the screening at a 45° angle on the next corner, and repeat each step.

When using fiberglass replacement screening, simply roll the screen material and spline into the frame at the same time using the concave end of the roller. Trim away any excess screening with a utility knife.

To replace screens in porches or doors with wooden framing, remove the wooden strips covering screen edges and discard the old screening. Next, unroll the replacement screen material vertically and staple it into place. Finally, nail or tack the wooden strips back to the screen frame in order to cover the screening edges. If the strips are not in good condition, you should consider replacing them as well.

Fitzgerald said small quantity do-it-yourself replacement screen rolls and instructions are available at better hardware, home center and discount stores everywhere. In addition, many retailers have set up "In-Store Rescreening Centers." Simply bring in your screen frames and they do the rest.

For more complex screening projects, go to a professional screening dealer listed in the Yellow Pages under ‘Screens--Door and Window." For additional information about screen replacement, write to: Frank S. Fitzgerald, CAE, Executive Vice President and Technical Director, Screen Manufacturers Association, 2545 S. Ocean Blvd. #410, Palm Beach, FL 33480, or visit the association online at www.smacentral.org.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center